Exiled Lady Kaori
by onigirikyo
Summary: Sesshy and Inuyasha have a sister? Meet Kaori, the most confusing full-blooded demon yet. Cursed at birth by a vengeful kuromiko, she transforms painfully into a human every night and is exiled for her protection against potential threat from her mother.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of it's characters. They are the sole property of Rumiko Takahashi. The original character known as Kaori is mine. Any events or plots in this story that may be similar to anyone else's is strictly coincidental.**_

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Author's Note: Hi everyone! This is my first chapter! It's a little short, so apologies in advance! Please feel free to leave reviews; I like hearing critique (not criticism!!), questions, and suggestions as well as compliments.

ENJOY!

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**Chapter 1**

_It was a dark night with no moon and three silhouetted figures slowly walked towards a small village lit by only a single bonfire. A tall, silver-haired Lord with pointy ears and wearing armor walked ahead of two servants, a man and woman carrying a tiny blond haired baby. The woman tripped over a small hidden rock and caught herself just before she fell but not before the small baby's cry startled the birds in the trees. The leading figure stopped and looked back. The woman hurriedly tried to calm the child. "S-sumimasen, Taisho-sama. I - I t-tripped..." She stuttered, terrified of what the lord would do to her for breaking the crucial silence. InuTaisho, the silver-haired lord, walked back towards the cowering woman and the crying baby. The man beside her tensed but did not move and the woman flinched as the Lord reached out a hand...and patted the child's head, caressed her face and whispered gently "Daijobu, daijobu. It's alright, small one." The child's pinched face slowly relaxed as her cries subsided and she opened her eyes to reveal startling green irises. Sighing with little hiccups she looked up at the Great Lord and smiled. Looking at her disturbingly bright eyes, he smiled a slow, sad smile back._

_" T-T-Taisho-sama..." The woman whispered. InuTaisho looked at her, said nothing, then turned and continued walking on and the two servants followed without a word._

--

Golden eyes watched the skies for a moment, lost in thought. They weren't searching for anything in particular, it was just one of those times when one looks up and wonders about...well, everything.

A small breeze blew stray silver hairs into those gold eyes causing the muscles around them to blink. A footstep came from behind and a voice: "Kaori-sama?". Kaori turned, her gold eyes meeting old brown ones of an elderly woman. The old woman hesitated then came closer, her eyes full of worry. Kaori cocked her head to the side in question, "Hai, oka-san? What is it?" The old woman grimaced, " As I have humbly stated before, your grace, though Haku and I raised you from infancy, we are simply your servants, Kaori-sama."

Kaori shrugged and turned back to looking at the sky. "You and otou-san are the only parents I've ever known, Kita. Why should I not address you as such?"

Kita shook her head and sighed "Kaori-sama, I am...concerned."

"Concerned? About what? " Kaori asked non-chalantly as she moved gracefully to sit back against a tree.

Frustrated, Kita could not contain it anymore, "About you, Kaori-sama! Ever since the news two days ago of the death of the Great Lord, InuTaisho, your _father--"_

"By blood only." Kaori muttered looking defiantly at the weeds in the grass.

"--your _father,_ " Kita continued, not listening, " you have been doing nothing but stare at...at..._nothing_. I don't think I've seen you shed one tear. By the gods child, should you not be grieving your loss?" She gently put her hands on Kaori's face, turning it towards her own. "He was your father, Kaori, by blood yes but not only that. He cared deeply for you. He cared enough to protect you from those who would harm you even though it meant never being able to raise you himself.You should have seen how hard it was for him to leave you with us."

Kaori softly pulled Kita's hands off her face. " I know, _oka-san_. But, I did not know him. It is sad that he is gone, yes, but can I truly feel grief over someone I never knew, let alone care for? No, Kita. I do not cry, I think and wonder about what I did not (and now never will) have, but I do not shed tears over a stranger." Kaori looked at her with a small smile, " Thank you for your concern, but truly, I feel fine. You should not worry about me."

The edges of Kita's mouth turned up slightly in a sad smile. "Oh, but I do child. I do."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note**: For convenience in the story, I am going to refer to Sesshy's mother as Hiroko (meaning 'magnanimous'). Not the best name, I know, but I'm at a loss as to what her name would actually be. If anyone could help me out, please contact me. Thanks!

**Chapter 2**

_Pained cries echoed through the vast hallways as InuTaisho paced back and forth outside the bedroom door. Suddenly the cries were replaced by wails of...__**two**__ babies? InuTaisho stopped and listened. Yes, there were definitely two. Twins? Impossible, and yet it was so. The door opened and InuTaisho whirled to face the nurse who now bowed and motioned inside. "A boy and a girl, my Lord." _

_InuTaisho walked inside the moonlit chamber and was greeted by a tired but proud set of eyes belonging to his wife, Hiroko, holding two whimpering silver haired babies. Each had a crescent moon on their forehead and two marks on each cheek. Identical. InuTaisho gently took the little boy from the mother's arms and held him close. "Sesshoumaru." He said quietly. _

_"A deadly name, my husband, but fitting. He shall be feared and respected." replied Hiroko with approval. InuTaisho said nothing as he knelt next to the bed and looked at the girl in Hiroko's arms. _

_"And what shall we name our little princess, my Lord?" She asked. InuTaisho's answer was cut off by a bright flash followed by derisive laughter coming from a ominous figure. Immediately the Great Lord stood between the figure and Hiroko (now holding both children) with Tessaiga in hand. "How dare you enter this household without my compliance. State your name and business and I may let you live." InuTaisho demanded with quiet but deadly authority. _

_The figure walked forward into the moonlight coming from a nearby window. The light revealed a tall brown-haired woman in miko garb and strange symbols climbing her neck and half of her face. "My name is not important, and as for my business? It is to make you suffer as I suffered many years ago...AT YOUR HAND!" Pointing at InuTaisho, she began to mutter what seemed to be an incantation. With a roar, InuTaisho launched forward and swiped at her head. She dodged the blow and continued muttering. Hiroko's eyes blazed red and she let out a roar. _

_"No!" InuTaisho cried. "You must take the children out of the room! I will deal with the kuromiko alone!" He fended off a blast of cold air the woman had shot at him. _

_Hiroko's eyes faded back to gold, but she did not stop glaring in defiance at the attacking woman. Holding a baby in each arm, Sesshoumaru in her right and the girl in her left, Hiroko maneuvered towards the big double doors leading to the hallway. Seeing this, the kuromiko instantly appeared in front of the doors, blocking the mother's escape. The woman smiled evilly as she eyed the children coldly. "Yes, I think this will do." she said in a quiet whisper. Stumbling back, Hiroko held her children closer, protectively, causing the girl twin to cry. Behind her, and angry InuTaisho's eyes glowed red as his face began to stretch and transform into his demon self. Realizing that defeat was imminent if and when the Great Lord transformed fully, the kuromiko raised her hands high and muttered a short incantation. Lights swirled and sparks flew around her as InuTaisho lunged at her, and in a desperate last act of vengeance, the kuromiko threw her half formed curse at the mother and her two children, shouting,_

_"May the moon of this night give a new form forever!" _

_Too late, Hiroko tried turning her back on the curse, trying to shield the children with her body. Too late, the now fully transformed InuTaisho attacked, severing the kuromiko in two. Too late._

_The curse hit one of the twins in shower of light, causing both to cry all the louder. _

_InuTaisho glowed, then returned to his former self and ran to Hiroko who was looking at the baby girl in horror. "No...no...my baby...no!"_

_InuTaisho looked at the small child, now glowing from the curse, and his eyes widened. The child's demon markings were gone and her hair had turned blond. She was human._

--

Kaori shuddered in the corner of her bedroom. It was a few minutes past sundown and the pain was worse than the night before. She tried not to cry out and disturb her parents, but it hurt so bad! Clutching her aching mouth, she felt her fangs retract and shrink to normal, human incisors. Her eyes burned and when she looked in the mirror across her bedroom, they glowed green. Breathing heavily, she gasped from sudden weakness as all her demon strength became repressed and her eyes burned more as her youki collected into them. Finally, after an hour, the pain subsided but she continued to cry. Crawling to her bed, she lay down and stared at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to calm her aching mind and body.

--

_InuTaisho stared at the crying child in his arms. Since the incident only an hour before, Hiroko refused to hold or look at "the atrocity" any longer. "That is not my child!" She had hissed as she practically threw the child into his arms. "It is human and it is disgusting. Get rid of it."_

_Of course he could not. Though he did not care about humans, he did not despise them. The child's cries subsided and she finally opened her eyes to look at him. He took a sharp intake of breath. They were green. Her once-beautiful golden demon eyes were now a corrupted glowing green. She reached up her hands as if pleading. He just looked at her with questioning eyes. And then...she smiled._

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Author's Note: thanks to Ren, I've made one change, for "better suspense/intrigue" and thanks to those who have viewed and/or commented!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: I will try to cut down on the flashbacks after Chapter 4! But I feel it is important to know her background, considering she _is_ an O.C.  
**

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**Chapter 3**

_"You called, my lord?"_

_InuTaisho turned from the window, a sleeping child still in his arms. Two human servants, a man and woman were bowed low on the floor near the giant double doors. InuTaisho approached them and after bidding them to rise, he gently placed the child into the woman's arms. Shocked and confused, she stammered as she held the baby close, "T-Taisho-sama, why? Who? Wh-" InuTaisho silenced her with one look and addressed the man, "From henceforth, this child is exiled. Banished from these lands and this house. Upon pain of death, you and your wife are sworn to silence as to the identity of this child. You may reveal to her what you wish, you are from this moment, her guardians and protectors. There are those who would wish her harm should they find out that she is still alive, therefore your silence and the secrecy of the journey we are about to make is of the utmost importance. Do you understand?"_

_The man swallowed, and with wide eyes replied, "Understood, Taisho-sama." _

_Satisfied, the Great Lord strode out of the room without a glance back._

_--_

Haku stood in the open doorway to the bedroom and watched Kaori as she lay sleeping. Her face was pale, as it always was in the morning after a particularly painful night, and he wondered why the Great Lord had allowed her to live. He didn't care for the girl, at least not in a fatherly way. To him, Kaori was a responsibility, a burden the Great Lord had placed on him and his wife, Kita. He neither spoke to the girl nor acknowledged her in the familiar tense, as Kita did. Haku grimaced at the thought of his wife daring to act as a mother rather than as the guardian she was supposed to be. 'It is the equivalent of addressing Sesshoumaru-sama as...as Sesshy-kun and wishing to be great friends.' He thought, and shuddered at the implications. 'Such disrespect would surely be our heads.'

"Otou-san?" Kaori's voice broke through Haku's thoughts. She was now sitting up and he immediately bowed as a human servant should in the presence of his superiors.

"My Lady, the morning meal is prepared. Do you wish to eat here in your quarters or in the dining hall?" He asked, not looking at her directly.

She did not respond immediately, but he waited patiently, not willing to ask again. Finally there was a quiet response "The dining hall, please..._otou-san._"

Haku bowed again and said, "Very well, your Grace." and left the room. Though he disapproved of her calling him father, he knew it was not a servants place to correct his master more than once.

--

Kaori was quiet as she ate her meal. 'They really have gotten older.' She thought as she watched her guardians from the table. Kita was cleaning and dusting while Haku repaired various tools and weapons. Their hair was thin and grey and each had wrinkles lining their face. They probably would not live much longer, maybe a year, maybe less. Kaori finished her meal and as she stood to leave, Haku stopped what he was doing and walked towards her. "It is time for practice, my lady. We will work on katana and later tonight we will practice your throwing knife."

She nodded and headed outside.

--

"Use your speed as a defense! Watch for the signals of your opponents movements _then _strike! Faster!" Haku's sharp commands distracted Kaori as she dodged and lunged, swung and blocked, and caused her to lose focus as the lizard demon she was fighting managed to push her to the ground.

"Hold!"

The lizard demon lowered his weapon and backed away. Kaori stood and brushed the grass and dirt off of her clothes as she braced herself for Haku's imminent rant.

"How many times have I told you to watch your footing and be aware of your enemy's movements?"

Kaori glared at him, "How can I do anything with all that shouting in my ear?"

"You must not allow anything from the outside distract you in your fighting. My 'shouting', as you call it, should serve as a minor annoyance, but one that should be listened to." replied Haku with resolution.

"Now you are contradicting yourself. First you tell me 'don't let anything distract you,' then you tell me to listen to it?" She retorted.

Haku sighed, "Just do it again. Gantatsu!" He motioned to the waiting lizard demon.

Gantatsu advanced as Kaori rolled her eyes. Setting her stance, she raised her sword slightly. Gantatsu came at her from the left and she countered with a simple block and twist. They fought for fifteen minutes when Kaori realized that Haku hadn't said a word. She slowed slightly to look around for her guardian. The lizard-demon Gantatsu took advantage of her foolish hesitation and tripped her, once again landing her on the ground with her sword just out of reach. He pointed his weapon at her throat and waited. Kaori listened for Haku's usual command to hold. It never came. Without moving from their positions both Gantatsu and Kaori looked at Haku questioningly.

"Why are you stopping?" Haku asked, "I did not say 'Hold'. Continue, please."

"But she is defeated, sir." Gantatsu replied. Kaori agreed.

"No. She is on the ground. There is a difference." came Haku's cold reply. Kaori paled at the implications. 'Surely he doesn't mean...'

"You want me to kill her?" asked the surprised lizard-demon.

Haku looked at Kaori with chilling indifference as he told Gantatsu "I hired you to help train this female demon. Apparently she has not learned her lessons yet, thus more advanced actions are to be taken. I will pay double for this session. Kill her."

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_**Author's note: Cliff-hanger! What is Haku thinking!? What will happen to Kaori? (Obviously she'll survive, she's the main character! :P ) Find out in Chapter 4 --coming soon!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Kill her."

Kaori's golden eyes widened in shock, then anger. "W-w-what!?" She sputtered. Then quickly scooted back as Gantatsu's blade neared her throat. He sneered as he hissed, "Ready to die, girly?"

At first, Kaori was frightened. How could Haku do this to her? He was her guardian! Weren't guardian's supposed to _guard_ not _kill_?? But as soon as Gantatsu raised his sword for the killing blow, Haku's previous words came to her mind: '_Use your speed as a defense!_'

She rolled to the side just as Gantatsu's blade came down, just missing her. She grabbed her fallen katana and raised it in a right block as his blade made a side sweep. She used her demon enhanced speed to get behind him and kick at the back of his knees. He caught himself in a roll as he fell and turned to face her. With great speed, Gantotsu did several blurred moves with his sword and Kaori found herself unable to see some of his sword thrusts, causing her to get cut many times. Desperately she swung her sword high then low, trying to catch an opening, to no avail.

'Why can't I get him?' Kaori mentally asked worriedly.

_'Watch for the signals of your opponents movements _then _strike!_'

Again, Haku's sharp commands came to her mind. Backing out of range of his sword and continuing to dodge his advances, Kaori calmed her mind and observed his movements. A muscle twitch and a step turned slightly, 'There!' she thought and jabbed at his side as he feinted to the right. Unfortunately, Gantatsu was ready for her and blocked her sword just in time to keep from getting stabbed. Kaori was perplexed, clearly she had predicted his movement but still he had blocked it.

'_Faster!_'

Sheathing her sword, Kaori read his movements. He was going for a down side sweep from the left. If it connected it would wound her fatally, if not cut her in half. In a blur, she sped past him to the right, unsheathing the sword at the same time and felt his flesh connect with blade as it slid through. Gantatsu halted as Kaori's sword cut his side. Clutching the wound, he fell to his knees.

Kaori turned and faced her opponent, her eyes glittering with loathing for the greedy creature. "No, I'm not ready to die. Are you?" She raised her sword threateningly. He said and did nothing except cling to his wound to stop the bleeding.

Convinced the lizard demon would do nothing more to her, Kaori walked towards Haku. He looked at her with a neutral expression but said nothing. Kaori struggled to keep her emotions in check. She wanted to cry, laugh, spit at, and thank him all at the same time. How dare he try to get her killed! However, he _did_ make his point, but he didn't have to scare her like that! Overall, it was his previous advice that saved her life. So instead of telling him off, Kaori bowed and said simply, "Thank you, Sensei."

--

During her fight, Haku could see the changes in Kaori as she realized what he had been trying to tell her all along. Her speed was amazing and the way she perfectly predicted Gantatsu's right feint had nearly made him swell with pride. Haku had hoped that she would not be stupid enough to get herself killed. He knew he should not have lost his temper like that, especially since she was his responsibility, but the girl had to learn. He and Kita would not be around for much longer and would not be able to protect and guide her forever. When Kaori walked towards him, he kept his face void of emotion, testing how she reacted to her ordeal. Like a true student who had learned her lesson, she simply bowed and thanked her teacher.

Haku nodded and also bowed. "I am pleased you have learned, my lady. Perhaps we can also make progress tonight with your _aim."_

--

For whatever reason, tonight's transformation wasn't so bad, but it still hurt. Kaori composed herself, and walked outside. 'How do humans survive with such bad sense of smell and eyesight? It's been how many years and I'm still not used to it!' Kaori thought as she wandered almost blindly to the small clearing in the trees they used for practice. The night was especially dark because of the new moon, but otou-san was insistent that they practice.

She saw Haku standing next to a big tree, waiting patiently. He had something in his hand but because of the dark night, she could not make out what it was. He motioned her closer, and handed to her the object he had been holding. "You will practice with this tonight." Haku said.

Kaori looked down at the thing in her hand, expectantly. It looked like --"A tooth?" She asked confused.

"A fang." Haku corrected. "One of your father's to be more precise."

Kaori was still confused, "Very touching, otou-san. I mean Sensei. But what am I supposed to-"

At that moment, she felt a blade at her throat. "I will show you." Came his cold voice suddenly behind her. Her heart beat rapidly, more out of surprise than out of fear. 'How did he do that?' she wondered. One minute he had been in front of her, and now he had blade at her throat from behind. The object in her hand felt heavier and when she held it up, she gasped.

Behind her, Haku relaxed his stance and lowered the knife at Kaori's throat. "It reacts to your emotions." He explained as she marveled at the intricate throwing knife she now held in her hand. "Anytime you feel vulnerable, your heart pounds, your thoughts race, and your father's fang grows into the small knife you see now. It is guaranteed to hit anything it is aimed at. But it is for protection purposes only; it was forged to be used as a last resort."

Kaori's green eyes sparkled and her more humanly instincts took over as she enveloped Haku in what was probably his very first hug.

--

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**Author's Note: **Is it just me or does Haku threaten her a lot? LOL. Now that Kaori received her toothy gift from dear old dad (InuTaisho's legacy among his kids right? ) I think i will get rid of the parents and move on with the actual story line. Does that sound good?? REVIEW PLZ!! I know for a fact over 50 people have read this story so far, but i only have like 4 reviews! Plz plz plz leave me some indication as to what you think of the story so far, or what you'd like to see next! THNK YOU!


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: _I'm sooooo sorry it took so long for me to update!! Family Reunions, long trips to Missoula, and college kinda got in the way, but I will try harder from now on I promise!!_

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**Chapter 5**

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200 years later

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Hiroko gazed at herself in the long ornate mirror. She was very beautiful with her long flowing white hair typical of dog demons. Her face showed no signs of age and her single demon marks on each side were vibrant against her pale face. Her kimono swished gently as she turned to glare at three humans bowed on the ground. "Your request is denied. This great lady will absolutely not consent to any pleas made from humans. You are like vermin that crawl and irritate the land and do not deserve help from greater beings, such as myself."

"P-please y-your highness, we beg you to reconsider!" The short fat one in the front squeaked.

Hiroko's eyes flashed and she motioned to the two guards standing in the doorway. The three men protested weakly as they were dragged from the room.

'_Humans.'_ She thought disgustedly. '_Humans ruined my family. They interfered with my children, no, child, and they were the cause of my husband's death. They are weak and insignificant.'_

Then she shuddered, _'I certainly hope that my son does not have any of his father's personality.'_

--

Sesshoumaru paused mid-step and looked back.'_Something is coming. The wind brings the scent of...change. Odd_.' Jaken, not paying attention as usual, ran into his leg and fell back with a cry. Rin, holding Ah-Un's reins stopped and waited patiently. "Huh? What is it Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked. Sesshoumaru said nothing and continued on with Jaken and Rin following close behind.

--

Kaori felt strange as she walked through the forest. Her body almost...tingled, no that wasn't right.

"Ow!" Lost in her thoughts, she hadn't watched where she was going and knocked her leg against...Kaori looked down. It seemed to be an old well. '_Hmm. Probably hasn't been used in years._' She looked at her surroundings and spotted a single, giant tree not far from where she stood. The strange tingle grew stronger as she walked closer. When she arrived in front of the great tree, she reached out a single hand and touched the trunk. The tingle stopped and all became unnaturally quiet. Somehow, Kaori felt that this spot was sacred and that some important event had occurred at this very tree. She reached out and touched the trunk of the giant sacred tree and immediately thousands of images flooded her mind, most of them going too fast for her to make out. But, oh the emotions! Rage, anger, hate, violence...sorrow, and hurt. Kaori shuddered and backed away. Whatever had happened here was a very sad tale indeed. Her hand hurt and looking down, she found that she was clutching her father's fang pendant with white knuckles. Relaxing her hand she turned to walk away...

--

Kagome threw the heavy backpack up out of the well and pulled herself out.

"Ow! They could at least rebuild the well in this era so I wouldn't get splinters!" she cried softly to herself. She picked up her backpack "Ugh! Those guys better be grateful! I can't believe Mom packed all this food!" Kagome started walking towards Kaede's village then stopped when she realized the forest was unnaturally quiet. A strange aura was coming from the direction of the Sacred Tree. _'Sesshoumaru?' _thought Kagome. _'No. It's not quite...right.'_ Somehow the aura was Sesshoumaru's but at the same time it wasn't. Ever curious, Kagome dropped the backpack, picked up her bow she had left by the well and ran towards the Sacred Tree.

--

At the sound of running footsteps, Kaori stopped and unclasped the the fang pendant from it's chain, immediately transforming it into her throwing knife. Turning her head slightly she saw a strangely dressed human girl with dark hair slow down just next to the sacred giant tree.

"Sesshou-" the girl stopped and half-drew her bow. Kaori turned completely and studied the foreign girl. She was young, perhaps 15 years? Her wavy black hair fell just below her shoulders and her brown eyes were watching Kaori with confusion and curiosity. Kaori could feel the power of a miko within the girl and slightly tensed. Kaori was wary of such individuals. It was because of a miko, a kuromiko, that she was...

"Kagome!"

Kaori cursed herself. _'I need to pay better attention!'_ Just through the trees, Kaori could see a white-haired male running towards the girl she now knew as Kagome. _'White hair? A youkai, then. Time to make my exit.' _Kaori turned and disappeared through the trees.

--

Kagome turned at the sound of her name and saw InuYasha running towards her. "InuYasha! There's a strange youkai..." Kagome turned to point to where Kaori had been previously standing only to find that the Seshoumaru look-alike was gone.

"Where?" demanded InuYasha, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" said Kagome distractedly. "I thought I saw...never mind."

InuYasha walked in the direction Kagome had been pointing and began sniffing the air, then the ground. He bristled then looked confused. "What the?"

By now, Kagome had joined him."What is it?"

InuYasha faced her with an unreadable expression. "Who did you see standing here?"

"I thought I saw Seshoumaru" replied Kagome, "but even though it looked like him, it didn't _feel_ like him..."

InuYasha nodded. "It certainly smells like him, but..." he trailed off.

"But what?" asked Kagome, concerned. InuYasha had a strange expression on his face.

"It smells like a woman"


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note:_ Sorry about the wait. I'm still trying to decide whether I should just wait longer to update and upload longer chapters, or update sooner with shorter chapters...hmmm. What do you guys think? REVIEW!!_

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**Chapter 6**

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3 months later

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It was two hours after sunrise and already the village was alive and thriving with workers, conversation, and children playing.

"...demons..."

"...i just don't know..."

"...strange green light..."

"...do you think it could be..."

"...frightened! Crying like a..."

The small village was abuzz with gossip as usual, but Sango's ears perked up at the word 'demons'.

"...they say one night a month a fierce demon comes in a flash of green light and cries out in thirsty vengeance for souls to devour. Even though nothing else happens, the villagers are so scared they're willing to pay any price to anyone who can get rid of it..."

Miroku twitched at the word 'pay' and immediately but calmly walked over to the group of elderly men. "Pardon me, but did you mention some poor villagers are in need of the exorcising power of Buddha?"

The elders looked at the seemingly innocent monk. "Well, they say the demon demands the souls of young men --"

"No, they said the demon demands livestock--" "I heard young girls --" "That's crazy! _I_ heard the demon only craves the blood of a sacred miko --" Suddenly it seemed as though the crowd had grown larger and the conversation became louder and louder as the villagers argued back and forth about the mysterious demon occurrences. "Whoa!" cried Miroku as the throng of people swarmed around him. Pushing his way through the crowd proved difficult and he stumbled as he reached the place where Sango stood waiting.

"Sounds interesting, ne?" asked Sango,

"Hai. But should we investigate? Perhaps the green light is caused from a Shikon shard. If it isn't, we will have wasted valuable time." replied Miroku, out of breath. Sango was dubious.

"I doubt the green light is from a Shikon shard" she said, " If it _was _a demon with a shard of the sacred jewel, I'm sure there would be more than just _rumors_ of a demon. There would be names of people gone missing, wide-spread panic from general blood and carnage, and all the stories would relatively agree with each other." The two of them walked out of the village and headed east.

"Either way, I think the best plan would be to meet up with Inuyasha. He's gone to get Kagome from her world and we'll need her to confirm whether or not there's a Shikon shard." He replied walking ahead of Sango.

"Right." she said and called for Kirara, who transformed into full-size. "Let's go Kirara!"

--

Sweat was pouring down Kaori's face as she gasped for breath and she leaned against a tree for support. Pushing silvery white locks of hair out of her eyes, she shuddered, _'Just when I think I've gotten used to this...' _Kaori looked wearily around with blurry vision. She blinked a couple times to focus her golden eyes and stumbled as she stood. _'I'm so thirsty!' _ she thought as she forced herself to walk towards the sound of a distant stream. A shadow flew over her and she looked up. It was a two-tailed cream and black tiger type demon with two figures on it's back. Kaori could see a woman in a kimono and a dark-haired monk and was about to back up into the shadowy safety of the trees when, suddenly, the monk noticed her.

--

Miroku had sensed a familiar presence below him and looked down._ 'Sesshoumaru? He looks to be in pretty bad shape.'_ Even from this height, Miroku could see how unsteady Inuyasha's older brother was on his feet as he walked into the clearing below. Sesshoumaru looked up and Miroku's eyes widened as he realized he had been mistaken. _'Wait. That's not Sesshoumaru...' _The eyes were slightly softer, more feminine, and there was no mysterious fluff on the right side of the armor. The small green creature known as Jaken wasn't anywhere to be found either. _'Who...is that?' _he wondered as they flew away.

--

Again, that look of recognition then confusion. This was the second person to give her that look, and Kaori was starting feel what she knew was unreasonable annoyance. _'I just need some water, and then I need to sleep.' _Her body was severely weakened by last night's ordeal and she knew that if she didn't rest up, she wouldn't have enough strength to handle tonight's transformation. Kaori continued on unsteadily through the forest towards the rushing stream.

As Kaori drank the water, cool and refreshing to her sore mouth and parched throat, she pondered about her situation. _'How long have I wandered around since Otou-san and Oka-san passed on? I've been alone, no one can help me. I've searched and searched for a cure. I'm beginning to doubt if I will ever have a normal life.' _she thought regretfully. She saw her reflection in a calm area of the otherwise hurried water. She saw a face, pale and tired, with two sets of red markings, a dark crescent moon, two golden eyes, and long loose silver hair. The eyes were sad, the mouth turned down in a grimace. Angrily, Kaori splashed at that face in the water and clenched her fist. "I will not become a mopey, petulent child! Face it, Kaori. This is your life. Deal with it or find a way to fix it!" With renewed resolution and slightly more energy, Kaori stood and looked at the sun, now at high noon. "Time to move on..."


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: _Okay, so college started today! What does this mean for this story? Not much actually, just that updates may come later than usual, OR they may come sooner than usual. (real specific, right? ) I am working in 20 min of writing everyday into my schedule. So! Depending on how much I can write and how many ideas pop into my head, the story might move along rather nicely! _

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"Eh? So you saw her too?" asked Inuyasha. Sango and Miroku had met up with him and Kagome as they had made their way back from the old well, informing them of their encounter.

Miroku nodded. "It was strange. I could swear it was your brother, Sesshoumaru. The aura was even the same." He sat crossed legged, holding a bowl of rice. They were all in old Kaede's hut, eating a meal.

"I felt it too." said Kagome, serving Shippo his portion of fish. "I thought the same thing, at first. But, the aura had strange twist to it...I can't really explain it."

"Where did you meet her, Kagome-chan?" inquired Sango, holding Kirara in one hand, and keeping Miroku's twitching fingers at bay with the other.

Kagome explained her encounter at the tree, meanwhile Inuyasha stared broodingly at the wall.

"Keh! It pisses me off!" he said loudly. Kagome and Shippo rolled their eyes at Inuyasha's unfounded outburst. "What's Sesshoumaru up to anyway? Smelling like a woman, it's sickening!"

"Inuyasha," retorted Kagome, "It's not Sesshoumaru. There were similarites, but if you'd seen the face, you would've realized it was someone else."

"I don't know why you're getting so worked up, Inuyasha, it's not like you even saw her anyway." mumbled Shippo, then grabbed his head in pain from Inuyasha's blow. "Owww! Kaaagoooomeee!!"

Kagome glared at Inuyasha. "Oswari."

* * *

_for those who don't know: "oswari" means "sit"_

* * *

"Ach!" Inuyasha yelped as his entire body hit the floor.

Miroku looked deep in thought. "Perhaps Naraku is behind this. New demon walking around, looking like one of us --"

Inuyasha snorted, "Since when has _Sesshoumaru_ become 'one of us'?"

Kagome gave him a stern look, then turned to the monk. "I don't know. She didn't try to do anything to me, and I didn't sense a shikon shard. That particular fact is kind of his trademark when it comes to new incarnations."

"True, but we can't cross out the possibility. Naraku has gained new tricks lately, and he always seems to be one step ahead of us. The fact that she didn't attack you and that she looks like someone we know could be a ploy to catch us off guard. Make us feel safe or disinclined to attack." whispered Sango.

Kagome and Miroku looked at her with concerned eyes. They knew she wasn't just referring to situation at hand, but also her brother Kohaku.

"Gah! This is stupid, we're wasting time! Let's go search for more Shikon Shards!" said Inuyasha with his usual impatience. "There's nothing we can do about this new female demon right now anyway."

"Actually, that's why Sango and I came to meet up with you in the first place." Miroku piped in before Kagome could 'sit' Inuyasha for his rudeness.

"That's right! The last village the monk and I were visiting had some interesting rumors." Sango further explained what she and Miroku had heard and that they decided to find the rest of the group before investigating further.

"Hmmm. I don't know, what could the flash of light be? This doesn't match up to other Shikon shard incidences we've dealt with. More tragic events should be occuring...let's not do anything unless we hear more. We don't exactly have a lot of time..." pondered Kagome aloud.

Miroku nodded. "The villagers did say it only happens once a month. Since this month is nearly over, I'd say we have to wait awhile before we can investigate."

"Forget it then." said Inuyasha, and with that, he left. Kagome sighed and Shippo shook his head.

--

"My Lady, I've heard some rumors in a few villages that may be of some interest to you." reported the Head Guardsman, a raven-type demon, as he crisply bowed.

Hiroko turned from her tall mirror to face the bowing guard. "Really? I doubt anything that happens in the human world is at all interesting." She turned walked out the double doors that lead to her personal garden. Clearly a dismissal.

Undeterred, the guard followed her protesting, "I believe a flash of green light holds some significance to her highness?"

Hiroko stopped and turned around with a cold expression on her face. The Head Guard inwardly gulped. Daring to follow the Great Lady to her garden when she had obviously dismissed him may not have been the best choice.

"Flash of green light? And what, pray tell, does that have to do with me?" she demanded quietly, then gradually rising in volume "Does it matter the color? If it occured in the human villages then it is a human problem and therefore does NOT pertain to this Great Lady!" Her use of the formal third-person always went up a notch when she was angry.

The Head Guard cringed but held firm. Her eminence would absolutely murder him if he did not inform her of this immediately. "M-my Lady. T-t-there were a-a-also reports of loud cries of pain after the light flashed. The villagers mistakenly thought it to be an angry spirit or demon out for vengeance..."

Hiroko impatiently interrupted him, "Again I ask, what is my part in all of this? I care not if..." she trailed off as she caught the last part of what the guard said. "They _mistakenly_ thought? You sound as if you know what caused this."

The raven demon struggled not to look incredulous. How could she not realize? "Y-Your highness, does this circumstance not sound similar to those of your daughter...?" Then he froze. The look the Great Lady Hiroko-sama was giving him at that very moment was like a death glare.

"What. Did. You. Say?" she demanded in a whisper and took a step forward.

The Head Guard's eyes widened as he stuttered, "Your...your daughter, Hiroko-sama. The transformation...I...I thought...?"

Hiroko calmed herself. Clearly this Guard was as ignorant as the rest of the Household. She had no daughter. That kuro-miko had made sure of that, and her husband had gotten rid of the result of _that_ particular crisis. "Since you seem to have an absurd notion about the number of offspring i've had, let me make it COMPLETELY clear to you. I have no daughter, no female pups of any kind. Not then, not now, not ever. That discussion is closed. As for this _incident_ in the human village, you will not waste my time with trivial details. Am I understood." It was not a question. She turned gracefully around and continued towards the small stream in the field of flowers, then stopped in her tracks at his next words.

"Y-You...you didn't know?"

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PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! CRITIQUE AND SUGGESTIONS WELCOME! FLAMING AND BLATANT CRITICISMS ARE **NOT!**


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's note: _OMG, I am sooooooooooo sorry for not updating. I've been so busy with Chicago and homework that I haven't been able to keep up with this....and it really didn't help that our NetCenter/External Hard Drive decided to crash, taking all of my stuff with it....Anyway, sorry it's short but its what i've got for now!!! **READ AND REVIEW PLZ**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Kaori whirled in a sort of dance as she evaded each one of the flying blades. Her silvery white braid whipped around as she feinted left and immediately turned right, causing the thick braid to hit the assassin's wrist and knock the blade out of his hand. Cursing, the man retreated back into the shadows.

Kaori kept her guard up, listening for any sounds that might give away the attacker's whereabouts. Total silence, except for the rustle of the leaves of the trees as they brushed against each in the slight breeze, permeated the forest. Certain that she was now safe, Kaori reached up and patted her braid fondly. "I knew this was a good idea. All that hair was becoming a nuisance."

She could see the edge of the forest just up ahead and she continued walking towards it. Ever since her decision to let go of her self-pity, Kaori felt as if a load was lifted off her chest. Despite her new cheery disposition, however, she couldn't help but wonder what was going on. She had been walking through the forest on her way to another village with a lead on how she could reverse the curse when seemingly out of nowhere, a man in dark clothing and short, cropped brown hair with a mask covering his face had attacked her.

'_Who was that man? Why was he trying to kill me?' _

"And why does everyone else seem to know something I don't?!" she half mumbled aloud to herself. Suddenly, her sensitive ears twitched at the sound of a young girls voice just up ahead...

*******

"Sesshoumaru-sama!"

The demon lord paused in his graceful step, waiting for the small human girl to catch up with him. Her yukata was torn and she was filthy but she didn't seem to notice or care, but Sesshoumaru did. As the Lord of the Western Lands, he couldn't allow such appearances to continue. "Jaken." he said in his quiet but demanding voice, without turning.

The small green demon ran to meet his master. "H-h-hai, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

A small coin bag landed on his head. "Augh!....eh?" Jaken looked at the bag in confusion.

"Take Rin into the village and get her cleaned up." Sesshoumaru ordered and, without another word, continued walking, ignoring Jaken's squabbling protests.

Rin smiled and waved at her Lord's retreating figure. "Arigato, Sesshoumaru-sama!" then turning to Jaken, said "Come on Jaken-sama! It'll be fun!"

Jaken followed the skipping girl, grumbling all the while. Sesshoumaru watched them go out of the corner of his eye then continued on the road. Something was bothering him. He didn't know what it was, which was unusual for him and that of course made him edgy. Was it something in the air? An aura? The demon prince couldn't place it, but _something _was making his senses tingle and if he had been in his true dog demon form, every bit of fur would have standing on end.

********

Kaori stood very still in the trees where she hid, watching the small girl she now knew to be called Rin skip merrily down the hill with the toad-like demon Jaken following reluctantly. However, it was not these two that had caught her attention. The tall man with long flowing silver hair so much like her own, intrigued her and when he came within good sight range Kaori witheld a gasp. His piercing golden eyes, the moon shaped marking on his forehead and the two stripes across his cheeks were unmistakable. _'Tree spirits, he looks just like me!' _she thought. '_Just who is he?' _ What was it Rin had called him? Sesshoumaru? That name caused Kaori's mind to take a flash back:

--

_**"Sesshou-" the girl stopped and half-drew her bow. Kaoru turned completely and studied the foreign girl. She was young, perhaps 15 years? Her wavy black hair fell just below her shoulders and her brown eyes were watching Kaoru with confusion and curiosity.**_

_**--  
**_

_'That girl must have mistaken me for this....Sesshoumaru...' _she thought. _'Now that I see him, it's totally understandable, I mean..we could be twins! Hmmm...Sesshoumaru....'_ Although, now that Kaori thought about it, the human girl hadn't exactly had a friendly look on her face when she'd said the name.

_'Humans and demons apparently don't normally get along well around here...'_ That would explain the fearful, strange, and sometimes hateful looks she'd been given in the very first human village she had ever gone to after Oka-san and Otou-san died. She'd been confused by their reactions. Her "parents" had been human after all and they never seemed to have a problem with her.

It did _not_ explain, however, what a small human girl like Rin was doing with a demon. _'Especially one who carries himself so....so regally.'_

Her thoughts were interrupted when she realized that Sesshoumaru had stopped abruptly and she just managed to jump back out of the way of a glowing green whip that seemed to come from his finger. The whip sliced through the trees, just missing her, melting the branches and disintegrating the leaves. _'I'll take that as my exit warning...' _Not quite ready for a confrontation with this eerily similar demon,Kaori made her escape and ran swiftly and gracefully deeper into the forest.

*******************

"Hmph." Sesshoumaru's suspicions that someone was watching him were confirmed when he saw a silhouette leap out the way of his poison whip and disappear into the darkness of the far trees. His tingling feeling subsided, but only a little. _'Whoever that shadow was, is obviously connected to the change I sensed earlier.' _It was the aura he'd felt, on the other hand, that made him uneasy. It was so familiar, it seemed a part of him. This new development was _definately_ not pleasing to think about. He had never felt this before. This sense of familiarity. _Especially_ with someone or something he didn't know. '_Damn....'_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Note:** Wow....this is probably the fastest update i've ever done....I dunno what it is but ideas were exploding out my head and this chapter and half of the next just kinda wrote itself! **PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW**! I need feedback, critique, comments, ideas, ANYTHING!!! Thank you to those who have reviewed previous chapters, even the short comments were nice. Thank You! Keep doing it!_

* * *

**Chapter 9**

The sun was setting just below the horizon as Shinta and Ren raced each other to their hideout tree. "Hah! You'll never beat me going that slow!" taunted Ren as he passed Shinta with ease.

"Oh yeah?" cried Shinta as he tried his hardest to make his little six-year old legs move faster. He had been given an early start, so seeing the other boy running just ahead of him for an obvious win was quite an upsetting occurence. Ren touched the base of the tree with one hand and bent over out of breath, panting "See? I told you...you'll never win...you're too slow!"

At eight years old, Ren was of course the faster runner and was always happy to rub that fact in his little brothers face. However, as soon as Shinta reached the tree, Ren could see that he was very upset, and immediately he felt sorry. "Shinta! Ne, it's okay! Someday, you'll be as fast me! I promise! Ne? Ne? Don't cry!" Shinta sniffled as he tried to hold back his tears and was about to say something when a green glow further on in the forest off to the left caught his eye. He turned and stared at it, curious.

Realizing that his little brother was no longer listening to him, Ren walked over slightly irritated "Hello? I was talking to y--" He cut off when he saw what Shinta was looking at. "Hey...what's that?"

Shinta shrugged, "I dunno."

Ren, being an adventurer and wanting to know what it was, started walking in the glow's direction. "Come on! Let's go see what it is!" He turned to grab Shinta's hand but Shinta stepped back and shook his head emphatically. "No. Mom said there was a monster in there who eats little kids' souls. I'm not gonna go in there. Let's go home, i'm scared!"

Ren rolled his eyes, "You're such a baby! Mom only said that cuz she didn't want us going too far from the village. I wanna see what it is! Come on! There ain't no monsters--"

A piercing scream rang out and the green glow flashed once then the whole forest exploded in green light. A fierce wind blew through the trees as though sucked in towards the origin of the glow. Terrified, the two boys could only watch as a hunched, writhing figure walked towards them making strange choking and moaning sounds. Finally not able to take it anymore, Shinta squeezed Ren's hand hard, the pain shocking him out of his paralyzed state, and both ran back towards the village, screaming.

*************************

The agony! As soon as the sun had set, Kaori could feel the change begin. Frantic she ran deeper into the forest, racing to find a safe place to hide before the transformation. First her fangs shrank, her teeth rearranging themselves to compensate for the extra room. _'I will never get used to that...it aches! Ahhh!' _She thought as she ran. She struggled not to clench her teeth. She'd done that once before, thinking it would somehow dull the pain. That was a mistake.

Her normally very keen eyesight dimmed to that of a normal human's and everything seemed to get darker. Had her hearing not already diminished, she would have heard two human boys racing towards a tree on her left. But since she couldn't hear them, it wasn't until the trees got noticably thinner that Kaori realized she'd gotten closer to the edge of the forest instead of further. _'Oh no...I can't be this close to the village when I --" _Too late.

Kaori stumbled as her body lost its enhanced speed and agility and she fell to her knees. Her face burned where her demon markings faded to nothing and her eyes, already dimmer, began to burn as though on fire. The pressure behind her eyes began to build and build until she thought her head would explode. She couldn't take it anymore. The pressure was too intense. Kaori's head whipped up towards the sky and then.....she screamed.

Immediately, all her pent up youki burst out of her eyes in a single green flash, lighting up the surrounding area for a brief moment. The wind picked up and seemed to blow towards her, as though her body was a giant vacuum sucking up the air around her. Still on her knees, Kaori gasped for air as the wind, just as suddenly as it had come, slowed. Trembling, she looked around and struggled to her feet. Her body spasmed from the effort and choked back her tears.

She faintly heard children screaming but couldn't place where it was coming from. She was so disoriented she didn't know how much time passed but it must not have been very long because there were shouts not far from where she stood. A little closer and Kaori's human eyes would have been able to see villagers following a man in red, a girl in green, a small fox demon, a demonslayer, and a monk. However, only one thing was on her mind: _'...have to...get away...' _thought Kaori as she dragged herself over to the closest tree for support.

Exhausted, she fell to the ground and blacked out.

*************************************************

"I can't believe you did it _again!_" cried Sango, irritated. "Isn't it a little convenient that the richest people in the village just _happened_ to need an exorcism?"

Miroku laughed sheepishly, "Ah Sango, what are you implying?" Kagome and Sango shared a look while Inuyasha was busy stuffing his face. Shippo was fighting off Inuyasha with chopsticks, trying to defend his food.

"At least we got good food and a room to sleep in, right?" said Miroku, sitting between two local girls and determinedly _not_ looking at Sango who glared daggers.

_'Hopefully it will be a quiet night. Those demons and Inuyasha's tantrum from this morning wore me out...' _thought Kagome as she took a bite.

Suddenly, Inuyasha bolted to his feet, Tetsusaiga in hand. Then Miroku, Kagome, Sango, and Shippo all felt it too. A vast pressure of demonic youki permeated the air. Then screaming could be heard from just outside and the door burst open to reveal two young boys with terror filled eyes. They looked around the room frantically until they found their parents who were looking just as shocked as the rest of the group.

"What on earth is the matter?" cried their mother, Aya, as they ran and threw their arms around her. Kento, their father looked concerned and asked, looking directly at the older son, "Ren, what is going on?"

He took a deep shuddering breath and tried to explain the situation but the only coherent thing anyone could understand was "demon" and "forest". That was enough for Inuyasha and the group and they headed outside, where they saw all the villager men gathering, armed with whatever they had. Miroku approached the nearest villager, "Excuse me, can you tell me what happened? Did you see anything?"

The man looked a little shaken but calmly replied, "I was just puttin' my tools away when suddenly a big flash of green light came from the forest, and next thing I knew, them two little boys came a runnin' over here screaming like they'd seen a demon or sumthin." The group exchanged looks and Sango joined them, now in her demon slayer outfit and Hiraikotsu. Always eager, Inuyasha picked up Kagome and bounded towards the forest, "Come on, let's go!" Miroku, Sango, and Shippo ran after him and the villagers followed.

When they arrived at the forest, everything was dark. No strange green light, no wind. Just trees and the star-filled sky. Inuyasha put Kagome down and they searched the trees, wary and ready for anything. A shout came from their right. "I found something!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

After finding the strange blonde girl knocked out in the forest, Inuyasha and the other villagers had carried her to an abandoned hut and sent for the closest doctor. "I don't understand. There's not a single mark on her besides a few minor scratches from running in the woods. She doesn't have a fever or a bump on her head, so I can't explain the unconsciousness." The village healer looked puzzled. "She's looks human, but i've never seen hair this color....at least not around here." Inuyasha and the group looked at each other with concern as the healer bent over Kaori's still form and opened one of her eyelids. He immediately jumped back. "Evil spirits! Who is this girl?"

Curious, the group leaned forward to see what had startled the old healer. Kagome reached over and lifted one eyelid. Immediately a green glow emanated from the unseeing eye and Inuyasha swiped her hand back.

"Don't touch it! We don't know what's happening to her." He warned, concerned Kagome might be in danger.

Kagome frowned. "What would cause her eyes to do that?" she wondered aloud.

The doctor just shook his head. "I have no idea, but I can't treat her. She may be a demon or under a spell. Who knows what could happen to me if I do anything to her?" With that, he gathered his things and left.

Miroku put his hand out and hovered it over the unconcious stranger's face and then the rest of her body. "Hmmm. Odd."

"What's odd?" asked Sango. Kirara sat on her lap, contentedly purring.

"Her aura feels human but there's demonic energy leaking from her eyes..." Miroku looked deep in thought.

"Is she a half-demon? Like Inuyasha?" piped Shippo.

Miroku shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Inuyasha exudes demonic energy everywhere all the time. Unless he's human of course. Then he feels completely human. No 'leaking'..." he trailed off, sharing a look with Inuyasha. Inuyasha nodded slightly and stood.

Kagome yawned, " Well, since she's sleeping, I'd like to go to bed. We can talk more in the morning." She yawned again as Shippo jumped in her lap. Inuyasha and Sango nodded and followed Kagome, now carrying a sleepy Shippo, out the door to their own hut while Miroku stayed and sat watching over the sleeping girl.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Is she a half-demon? Like Inuyasha?" piped a young sounding voice. Kaori had slowly regained consciousness but didn't move. She had no idea where she was and wasn't about to wake up to any nasty surprises so she lay still and listened.

"No, I don't think so. Inuyasha exudes demonic energy everywhere all the time. Unless he's human of course. Then he feels completely human. No 'leaking'..." a man's voice trailed off as someone yawned and a girl's voice joined the conversation. " Well, since she's sleeping, I'd like to go to bed. We can talk more in the morning."

_'Half-demon? Completely human? _In her curiosity, Kaori was tempted to open her eyes but didn't. _And what's leaking? _

Footsteps and a door opening and closing told her that some, if not all, the people had left.

"You can open your eyes now."

Kaori twitched in surprise and reluctantly opened her eyes. Her eyes gradually focused and rested upon a young man, a monk by the looks of the robes, looking at her with a guarded expression.

"But how-"

"It's not hard for me to tell when your breathing rate changes." Another man, this one with white hair, entered and sat next to the monk.

"That," the monk agreed, "and your finger twitched."

Kaori wilted a little. "Oh." She lay there for a few moments then tried to push herself up to a sitting position. With a little help from the monk, she was successful. Kaori looked down at her hands not knowing what to say. It was that moment when she really noticed her hands. They were still human. Disoriented, she asked "How long have I been...unconscious?"

The monk brought her a cup of water. "Hard to say, really. But I would guess no more than about 2 or 3 hours. Here." he offered her the cup, which she took gladly. Sipping carefully so as not to spill, Kaori noticed the white haired man watching her every move. Putting down the now-empty cup, she took the opportunity to take in his clothing and couldn't help but be impressed.

"Fire-rat's fur...right?" Kaori asked.

He stared at her. "What?"

Kaori pressed on, "Your clothes. They're made from fur of the Fire-rat. Where ever did you get it? Fire-rats are rare, so the fur is considered almost to be a trea-"

"Who are you?" he demanded, interrupting.

"Now, now Inuyasha. You musn't frighten her." chided the monk, then, turning to Kaori he smiled and introduced himself, "I'm Miroku and this somewhat irritable companion of mine is Inuyasha. He's a half-demon but don't let that frighten you."

Kaori choked back a laugh. _Oh, I won't. I may be human right now, but i'm not entirely helpless._

Miroku mistook her repressed laugh for fear and took her hand gently and began to stroke it. Kaori looked bewildered at such a bold move and immediately yanked her hand away. "Yes....well, I am Kaori."

Looking very serious now, Miroku took both of her hands in his and looked unflinchingly into her green eyes. "Kaori...hmm...now that I have the pleasure of your name, it would give me great pleasure if you would bear my child."

Kaori stared at him. _This man is a monk? _

"OH, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!"

Kaori, Miroku, and Inuyasha all turned to see a broken door with Kagome and Shippo trying to restrain a raging Sango from pounding the perverted monk with her hiraikotsu.

Miroku immediately dropped Kaori's hands and laughed sheepishly. "Oh, Sango. What's the matter? I was only-"

"YOU. WERE ONLY. WHAT." Sango's glare could have melted through castle walls.

"Ahem."

Everyone turned and looked at Kaori, now standing with Inuyasha's help. She smiled politely, "Thank you everyone for your gracious hospitality. Who knows what could have happened to me had you not come. I do not wish to intrude on you any longer than necessary so I will now take my leave. Again, you have my thanks." With a proper bow she started to walk towards the door.

"And just what _did_ happen to you?"

Kaori paused at the doorway. Inuyasha walked up and positioned himself in front of her. Defiantly, Kaori's green eyes met his...and widened.

_Dear god, his eyes._ Kaori was breathless for a moment. She'd seen those eyes before.

* * *

**Author's note: *sheepish laugh* hehehe, so...uh...long time no write! Yeah, about that...Gomen nasai, minna! please forgive me for the long wait. Writers block, _Grease_ production, and college... you know, the normal excuses. But hey! Kaori finally met the group right?**

**READ REVIEW COMMENT ONEGAI SHIMASU!!!!!**


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's note: __Ahh...spring break. The only time i had to write for more than a month now. Thank you to my recent reviewers. I haven't forgotten this story, i just....eh....well let's just say i kinda wrote myself into a corner the last two chapters and it's like pulling teeth trying to wiggle myself out into good ole "plot" land. anyway, here's another short chapter. enjoy! READ AND **REVIEW! **plz and thnx_

* * *

**Chapter 11**

When Sesshoumaru had both felt the sudden explosion of released youki and seen the flash of green light coming from the direction of the village to which he had sent Rin, he raced towards the village sword at the ready and claws glowing.

_'Rin had better be safe.' _he thought to himself as he flew past the forest. He stopped when he saw Inuyasha and his group of humans carrying something or someone out of the woods. Bracing himself for the worst, Sesshoumaru came as close as he dared to see who they carried. He didn't dare allow his brother to see him acting like this over a child, a _human_ child no less. Seeing a braid of blond hair dangling from the body, he almost sighed in relief. Almost. '_It's not Rin. But...that thing is not human...' _

Because he was a full-blooded demon, his sense of auras was far more enhanced than his brother's. Something was odd about that body they carried out of the trees. It wasn't human, but it's youki presence wasn't nearly detectable enough to signify even a lesser demon or hanyou for that matter. _'I don't like this. I've never encountered this before. Even Naraku has a vast presence of youki and he used to be human.' _

Something was happening. Something was changing. Sesshoumaru couldn't place it, but something was wrong.

----------------------------------------

Rin sat in a corner away from the other children. When a flash of green light had exploded from the trees, frantic grown-ups had herded all the children including Rin into the nearest huts. The hut she had been herded into was divided into three sections. Two were living spaces and the remaining was an empty storage space. It was in this third space that she and the other children were hiding. Some of the younger children were crying while the older children tried to soothe them.

Rin wasn't scared, she knew Sesshoumaru-sama was watching out for her and would never let anything happen to her. And so she sat in her corner, waiting calmly and patiently until they were allowed out of the huts. She didn't have to wait long. Two adults soon came and opened the door calling all the children out, telling them everthing was all right and that they should get home because it was late and their parents would be missing them. Rin stood and ran out the door behind the other children. In her haste, she had forgotten her bag of food and clothing she had bought with the money Sesshoumaru-sama had given her and Jaken. Wait. Jaken! Where was he? He had stayed hidden behind a nearby hut so as not to frighten or provoke the humans into causing a scene.

_'I hope Jaken-sama is okay._' she thought as she turned around and ran back to get her bag in the corner. as she bent down, she heard voices coming from the next room.

"Thank you everyone for your gracious hospitality. Who knows what could have happened to me had you not come. I do not wish to intrude on you any longer than necessary so I will now take my leave. Again, you have my thanks." It was a woman's voice. Soft yet piercing, very much like..._'Sesshoumaru-sama. She talks just like him!' _thought Rin. Then she smiled knowingly. Except her Lord would never say thank you to anybody. In fact, he hardly ever said _anything_ to anybody. But when he did, it was in a regal tone with a soft yet piercing voice, much like how this woman was speaking.

"Pssst. Rin!"

Rin turned to see Jaken waving frantically.

"What are you doing you silly girl! We must get back to Sesshoumaru-sama at once! Quit dawdling!" he said in urgent whispers. Rin quickly gathered her things and followed Jaken out the door. As they passed by the next room, Rin couldn't help but look curously at the door, hoping it was open so that she could see the owner of that soft voice.

It was, and what met her eyes surprised her. It was Inuyasha blocking the doorway, preventing a strange but very beautiful looking woman from leaving. Rin stopped and watched as the blond haired woman looked up at Inuyasha, defiance melting into...fear? surprise? Rin couldn't really tell, nor did she have the chance to figure it out as Jaken grabbed her sleeve and yanked her along.

"Stupid girl. What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Rin followed reluctantly, looking back every once in a while trying to get a look at the Lady. She had decided that the strange woman was a Lady. No one but princess or Lady would stand the way she did or speak the way she did. Rin almost giggled. A Lady for her Lord.

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Inuyasha was confused by the woman's reaction. Her defiance had melted the instance their eyes met and immediately she looked slightly...nostalgic? afraid? He couldn't tell.

"Hey. What's wrong? I asked you a question."

The woman seemed to recover herself and looked away. "N-nothing. I apologize, it's just that you...I..." she stopped and took a calming breath and as she looked back at him, her face was a mask of calm regality. "I really must be going, there are important things I must attend to. Excuse me." With that, she pushed past him and walked out into the night.

Kagome had watched the whole exchange in silence, noting the woman's reaction to Inuyasha's interference. She couldn't place it, but Kagome had the funny feeling that she'd seen that woman somewhere before. This was ridiculous of course, you didn't exactly run across people with blond hair and glowing green eyes everyday. When she saw the woman push past Inuyasha she couldn't help but interfere.

"Wait!" Kagome cried.

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Kaori froze. _'That voice.'_ She turned and saw a familiar girl get up and come toward her. The girl had wavy black hair and brown eyes, but it was thevery strange clothing that caught her attention. "Kagome." she whispered as she recalled their very brief meeting in the woods.

Silence.

Kaori noticed that every person in the room was looking at her in surprise and wary curiosity. The girl named Kagome stopped her advance and looked shocked that Kaori knew her name. Inuyasha tensed and Miroku looked serious. The woman Sango observed all of this in what seemed like concerned confusion while a very young fox demon sat next to her, half asleep. Too late, Kaori realized she had said the name aloud and obviously she wasn't supposed to know who any of them were. _'Very smooth, Kaori. Seems like your human side has made you stupid as well as weak. What to do, what to do?!?'_

The half-demon Inuyasha spoke first in a voice dripping with warning. "Just who...are you?"

Kaori raced to come up with a reasonable explanation and finally decided to directly address the question he asked. "I-I'm Kaori. Haha...ha... I told you that already." She gave a fake smile and decided to take an innocent approach by acting sheepish as she forced a small quiet laugh.

This only seemed to irritate Inuyasha further. His eyes looked dangerous and he reached for his sword. "That's not what I meant. How did you know Kagome's name? What happened in the woods? Why do your eyes glow?"

Kagome reached and grabbed his sleeve. "Inuyasha calm down! She hasn't done anything, so stop acting like she's done something wrong."

"All the same," Miroku interjected, "I'd rather like to know how she knew your name, myself." Turning towards Kaori, Miroku looked at her expectantly. As Kagome came closer to hear the answer, Kaori inadvertantly took a step back. It wasn't that she was afraid of Kagome, but knowing who had cursed her to this life and living for years in fear of mikos in general had formed habitual instincts that Kaori had yet to break.

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Inuyasha was irritated beyond all measure and he didn't know why. Which, of course, irritated him more. Kaori knew Kagome's name, Kaori had strange glowing green eyes, Kaori looked at him funny, Kaori spoke like a Lady, everything about her had him so far on edge that it was driving him crazy and when Kaori stepped back, away from Kagome, he finally broke. Inuyasha grabbed the front of Kaori's kimono and jerked her towards him. "What is going on? How the hell do you know her name! I want an answer! Now!"

The woman didn't flinch, but her eyes betrayed her desperation. "I-I do not know. I am sure I heard you say it while you all were talking. After all, you yourself did say that I was listening while pretending to be unconcious. That has to be it. We have obviously never met."

When Inuyasha didn't relax his hold on the woman, Kagome stepped in to remedy the situation. "Inuyasha! She has a point. Put her down! Seriously, what is your problem?"

Reluctantly, Inuyasha released her but continued to watch her with a suspicious glare. Kagome returned his glare with one of her own, then turned to Kaori who was fixing her now-wrinkled clothing. "I am so sorry. Please excuse his rude behaviour."

The blond woman didn't look at her, but after a small moment of awkward silence she seemed to reach some kind of decision for she straightened and turned deliberately, her strange glowing eyes locked Kagome's brown ones in a questioning gaze. Kagome's feeling of familiarity tugged at her once more and opened her mouth to say something when Kaori finally said, "May I ask you something?"

Taken aback by the unexpected question, Kagome could only nod. The woman took a deep breath, as if gathering her courage, then asked, "What do you know about curses?"


	12. Chapter 12

Author's note: OMG, i am SOOOO sorry for the long wait! But i am glad to see a few more readers! Welcome! Anyway, yeah, Gomen nasai! Writer's block is a terrible thing. Never contract it. There really is no known cure! I tried to write a longer chapter this time.....didn't really work. READxREVIEW thank you very much!

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**Chapter 12**

Lady Hiroko paced back and forth. _'How dare he. How dare he!'_ She fumed in her mind. First he left her for some...some human...wench, then her son finds himself a little _girl_ for a pet, and now this. Hiroko had refused to believe such nonsense until there was solid proof that _it _was still alive.

She whirled around and pointed at the nearest guard. "You! Where is that assassin I sent? I would think he returned by now!" The guard flinched at her slender finger in his face but calmly replied that he didn't know. Lady Hiroko glared. "Then you had better go find him, hadn't you? NOW!"

The soldier bowed and exited as quickly as possible. No one liked to be in her highness's presence when she was in her...mood.

"She will shame me. She will come back here and demand to be part of the family. She will integrate herself in and she will make a laughingstock of this household." The demoness clutched at the curtains hanging over a giant window.

Just thinking about that...that _atrocity_ coming back from the past to haunt her made her nearly ill. "Taisho-sama, you may have saved that _thing_, but I will not have it. I WILL NOT!" In her fury she tore the curtain down and threw it across the room.

As the cloth slowly settled to the floor she realized the man she had sent for was standing in the doorway. Composing herself, the Great Lady gestured that he may enter. The assassin, a young _hanyou_, half human half serpent demon, watched her with black glittering eyes. His short, cropped, brown hair didn't move so much as an inch as he walked with snake-like grace towards her.

Irritated that he didn't say anything, Lady Hiroko snapped "Well? Report!"

With one fluid movement the assassin knelt before her, head down, and in a soft but slippery voice he began to apologize. "My great lady, I am afraid I underestimated the talents of your daugh..." He cut off as though he felt the fire from Lady Hiroko's eyes burning into his skull, daring him to continue. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Ah....I mean...the target. The talents of the target. She is a skilled fighter and I was unprepared. Allow me another chance and it will be taken care of with immediacy."

She looked down her nose at him, as though measuring what sort of a man he _really_ was. She sighed, exhausted from all her built up frustration and anger. "Very well. You may go now. But mark these words, _hanyou," _she spat out with derision, "this will be the LAST time you fail me. Now leave my presence."

Without a word, the man rose to his feet and left the room just as silently as he had come in. Lady Hiroko watched him go and after awhile, sank onto the nearest cushion.

"This is all _that woman's_ fault...."

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Kaori had left, several hours later, after everyone had finally gone to bed. She was a little disappointed that Kagome didn't know much about curses. That girl was definately odd. Her clothing, the way she spoke, and the fact that she had miko powers but didn't seem to know how to use them...it was like she was from another world. She shook her head, her loose hair falling into her face. '_Oh well. Back to square one, I suppose. Although, I didn't exactly ever move beyond square one in the first place.' _Kaori quickly put her blonde hair back into a braid. The others had loosened her hair when they brought her to the hut, which was fine with her but now it was going back to the braid. Then she paused, her hair only half done. The others....they were all a strange lot but it was Inuyasha's eyes that had shocked her the most. Where had she seen those eyes before? Her mind wandered....

--------------------------------

_"Kaori?"_

_Kaori looked up from her studies to see Kita beckoning. "What is it, oka-san?" she asked as she stood and walked towards the doorway. _

_"We have a guest who is going to stay with us for a few days. I'd like you to meet her." Kita grabbed Kaori's hand and pulled her along as they went throught the hallway and into the front room. There, delicately seated on the floor cushions, was a beautiful human woman. Kaori looked at Kita uncertainly. Kita smiled encouragingly, "It's okay Kaori-sama, you are in your human form right now, she will not know you are a demon. This will be the only time she ever sees you. Now, come." _

_Kaori followed Kita into the room, hesitantly at first, but as soon as the woman looked up at her with a warm smile, she found herself walking more confidently and sitting right beside her. _

_"Izayoi-hime," said Kita, "This is Kaori, my daughter."_

_Lady Izayoi smiled again, and took Kaori's hand. "Kaori. What a pretty name. I am very glad to meet you." Kaori ducked her head in unprecedented embarassement and nerves. _

_"I...I'm very pleased to meet you too, Lady Izayoi. You have very pretty eyes." Kaori's eyes widened in shock and clapped a hand over her mouth. She couldn't believe she just said that to a stranger! _

_But Lady Izayoi merely laughed gently and thanked her. Kita turned to Kaori with a searching expression as she said, "Kaori, Izayoi-hime and InuTaisho-sama are...very good friends. She is expecting her first child and InuTaisho-sama, in his kindness, offered her our home as refuge from some...well, let's just say...unsavory characters." _

_Kaori nodded in understanding but was confused about the look Kita was giving her. She shrugged it off as nothing more than her silly human eyes playing tricks on her and stood and bowed politely to Lady Izayoi. "Please make yourself comfortable here, Lady Izayoi. I really must get back to my studies, but it was very nice to meet a friend of my fa-- I mean my Lord InuTaisho. Good night!"_

_---------------------------------------_

Lady Izayoi had those very same eyes. It couldn't be coincident. Inuyasha was somehow related to that human woman who had visited her home all those years ago. _'Perhaps he knew my father? No, of course not. I remember, Father died only months after Izayoi-hime visited.' _Kaori pondered. She finished braiding and continued on.

The stars were hidden by gathering clouds and the leaves of the trees around her began to move with the increasing wind as she made her way, carefully, to the other side. She was still weak from the night's events but Kaori really didn't want to be found again. Especially this close to dawn. Kaori had 2 hours before the sun came up and she needed to at least get to the next village. She stayed along the forests edge, traveling many miles, resting, then continuing on again and soon the sun began to creep above the horizon. She stopped next to a tree surrounded by berry bushes and sat down, waiting for the coming pain of transforming back to her demon self.

It didn't come.

Kaori opened her eyes and looked down at her hands. They still had the small knobby knuckles and short nails of human fingers and the rough, lined palms. She frantically felt at her mouth, hoping to find a demon's pointed incisors. There were none. Her ears were soft and round and she couldn't see clearly past the tree 20 feet in front her. "No...no..nononono....NO!" Kaori bit back a scream of terrified anger.

It was day time, and she was still a human.


	13. Chapter 13

_Author's note: Hello everybody! I just reached the 15th Alert mark so i figured i owed my readers another chapter! I really tried my best to make a longer chapter....alas, it didn't work....again. But this one is full of action...sort of....so i hope it makes up for the time in between chapters. Sorry! Please PLEASE read and review! I want at least 5 comments on this chapter before i release the next one! If i reach that mark by Halloween you guys will get another chapter by Nov. 2nd! If i reach 15 comments by that same time, maybe you'll get 2! _

_As always, much love to my loyal readers!_

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**Chapter 13**

He watched from the trees, not making a sound. The situation had clearly changed as she wasn't turning back into a demon. A trick? No. Not possible. She had no way of knowing he was there. Not in her human form. Still…she could be an avid opponent despite the loss of her heightened senses. And there was that fang…No! It's fine. Brushing his doubts aside, he coiled, ready to spring and complete the task he'd been paid for.

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This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening!

Kaori's hands shook as she checked her face one more time. "Why?" she whispered.

It didn't make sense. While it was true that the last transformation had been more painful than any before, it shouldn't have anything to do with what was…or rather, wasn't….happening now. Should it?

The creak of a moving branch off to the left of where she was sitting startled her. Desperately, Kaori grasped the fang pendant. Nothing happened. She could hear the telltale signs of someone coming her way at a fast pace.

Frantic, she squeezed the fang with white knuckles. "Please!" she begged quietly, tears threatening at the corner of her eyes, "PLEASE!" Still nothing.

Taking a breath she rolled to the side and sprung to her feet, narrowly avoiding the well-aimed knife now buried in the tree where she'd been resting.

"What do you want?" Kaori half-choked at the man standing before her. She was so exhausted from everything that had occurred in the past 24 hours that she wasn't acting herself. _'Acting? I don't even LOOK like myself!' _She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't move. She could hardly contain her fear!

The assassin regarded her curiously with his cold, black, snake-like eyes. "It'ssss odd. I never underssstood why every victim asks that particular quessssstion. Obviousssssly I want to kill you. Or did you think that knife wasssss a game?"

Kaori didn't reply. Running wasn't an option, not while she was human. The man was half serpent-demon, known for their quickness and cunning. There was no way she could put enough distance between them fast enough. Besides, running made it easier to get a knife in your back. She swallowed hard. "I…I meant, _why are you trying to kill me?_"

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Rin watched from behind the bush where she had previously been happily picking berries to eat. Why was that snake-demon trying to kill the Lady? The Lady from the village seemed so sad and then the snake-guy had thrown a knife at her but somehow she had known and had moved out of the way. Rin didn't want to stay but she was afraid that if she so much as blinked, the snake-guy would hear her. So she quietly observed the scene.

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"Why, you asssk?" He edged closer.

Kaori didn't allow herself to step back, nor did she allow her voice to shake as she replied, "Yes….why. I have done nothing to offend anyone. I keep to myself and mind my own business. Surely you have made a mistake."

The half-demon laughed, making a quiet hissing sound. "Oh, it'sss no missstake. You cannot believe anyone elsssse hasss your….condition. No. You are the one Ssshe wantssss…." He trailed off and looked off to the right….at the berry bush where Rin was hiding.

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Rin froze. She'd shifted her weight slightly because her legs were losing feeling but now she wished she had just held still. The creepy snake-guy was staring right at her hiding place. Now he was coming toward her! She trembled. _'Please don't see me. Please don't see me. Please don't –" _Rin shrieked as she felt herself lifted off the ground.

"Well, what iss this?" The creepy snake man held her in front of him and patted her cheek with his knife, "A ssspy?"

She looked at him with terrified eyes and cried out "Save me! SESSHOUMARU-SAMA!"

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Sesshoumaru whirled around. Rin was in danger. He could smell it, taste it, feel it. This was twice in several hours! He ran swiftly, robes flowing out behind him, in the direction of Rin's anguished cry, his eyes glowing and Tokijin at the ready.

"Ahhh! Don't leave me behind, Sesshoumaru-sama!" cried Jaken as he struggled to catch up.

---------------

Kaori was already moving. She had been fully prepared to run while he was distracted by something she couldn't see, but when she saw the small bundle the assassin had pulled out of the bush, she knew she couldn't leave. She ran full force right at the assassin, aiming for the hand with the knife that was threatening to slice the little girl's cheek. It was probably a stupid idea but Kaori didn't see any alternative. She sliced downward with the un-transformed fang, cutting his hand. Instinctually the half-demon recoiled his injured hand and dropped the girl. Kaori turned and picked up Rin and ran as fast she could in the other direction. Rin clutched at Kaori's robe, trembling.  
"Don't worry, I've got you," panted Kaori, reassuringly, "I'll protect you, I prom--"

Kaori stumbled with a cry of pain. She twisted midair to cushion Rin against impact and landed on her back. The snake-demon had caught up to them and slashed Kaori's leg, causing her to stumble. Kaori pushed herself up and pushed Rin behind her, protectively. "Let the girl go! If it's me you want then I'll be your opponent, but leave her alone."

"Sssorry. No witnessessss." Then, with a sudden burst of speed only snake-demons are known for, the assassin rushed toward them wielding a long, thin blade dripping with what could only be poison. If it hit her it would hit both of them and then it would all be over.

Kaori couldn't move fast enough to dodge the blade, but she did manage to push Rin back out of the way just as the half-demon hit his target.

Behind her, Rin cried out.

Kaori's eyes widened in shock and…pain. Oh the pain! She looked down to see his blade sticking out of her, her blood seeping out and staining her clothing. Kaori choked on bile and cried out as he pulled out the blade. She feebly brought up her un-transformed weapon, trying to swipe at his throat but to no avail. The poison swiftly invaded her body, weakening her. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground.

"Run." said Kaori to the little girl behind her, hoarsely. "Run!"

Suddenly the snake-man's head disappeared in a fountain of blood and the headless body fell back. Kaori clutched her wound in agony. Before she blacked out she saw an imposing figure with silvery white hair standing before her and as she gave in to the void she heard Rin cry out in relief, "Sesshoumaru-sama!"

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_wow....Kaori can't catch a break can she? only hours after the last fiasco, THIS happens! will she survive? Find out in the next chapter of Exiled Lady Kaori, coming soon!_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Author's note:** Soooo, i didn't get all the reviews or comments i was hoping to get, but i've got a new chapter up regardless. It's a bit longer and very revealing. Let me know what you think!_

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**Chapter 14**

The blonde one had been skewered by the half-demon and both had fallen. Blondie, from loss of blood and the fatal wound, and the half-demon from the beheading by Sesshomaru. He had struck as soon as he had reached the area where Rin's voice had come from and the half-demon scum had immediately collapsed after Sesshoumaru's blade separated his head from his body. Rin cried out as the blonde woman blinked at him and fell to the ground. Satisfied the threat to Rin was eliminated, Sesshomaru waited for Rin to run to his side like she always did after being saved. Instead Rin's face looked crestfallen and she ran to where the woman had fallen. She was dying, that much was clear. The blade with which she'd been stabbed dripped poison, mixing with the blood and filling the area with it's foul stench. The blonde girl's breathing was slowing down and she didn't respond to Rin's pitiful pleas to wake up.

"Rin. We're going."

Rin looked up tearfully at her Lord, eyes begging for...what? Help? His eyes narrowed.

"Rin." he said again.

Rin didn't move from the woman's side. Her teary eyes continued to stare at him. Foolish girl. He turned away and walked back the way he had come.

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Rin had never asked for anything in her life. She'd never wanted to because she'd never had to; her Lord had taken care of all her needs. But now she was practically pleading with Him for just this one thing. The words wouldn't come out; she was too scared to say them, so she hoped that He would understand what she wanted. Rin couldn't help but feel that this woman, who had saved her life, did not deserve to die. Not like this. There was something about her.... Lord Sesshoumaru had the power to save people, could he not do it for her just this once? She almost flinched when he'd narrowed his eyes. Was he angry? Was she being too pretentious, thinking that he would grant her this wish? Apparently she was and she nearly panicked when he began to walk away. Without thinking about what she was doing she ran forward and grabbed at his sleeve. He stopped immediately and looked down at her, his expression cold and neutral as always but with a slight question in his eyes. Swallowing hard, she managed to squeak out one word: "....Please...."

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Sesshoumaru was surprised when he felt the tug on his sleeve. No one had dared to touch him or his clothing in centuries. It simply wasn't done to a demon of his rank and reputation. He looked down and saw Rin. Her eyes practically screamed that he save that woman and when she uttered that one simple word, he knew this was important to her. For she never spoke a word directly to him unless he asked her a question or gave a command. He turned to her and knelt down on one knee and gently took her face in his hand. "Rin. Why do you wish to save that human woman?"

He could feel her trembling and her tears as she said "...She....she saved my life...a-and she's...s-she's like you...please Sessoumaru-sama...please save her....she saved my life!"

He was confused at what she meant by 'like him' but clearly this blonde stranger was so important that Rin, who had never dared ask him for anything before, spoke up and pleaded for her life. He felt the familiar stirrings in his heart as he looked at her tear-stained, desperate face. Without a word, he stood and walked back to where the woman lay, now dead, on the hard ground.

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It was dark and cold and the ground was uncomfortable but Kaori couldn't move. Hard as she tried, her muscles would not obey her and stayed still. She couldn't open her eyes or cry out as she felt the poison coursing through her veins as her heartbeat got slower and slower. Soon she was numb, couldn't feel anything. Not her arms, not her legs, not the pain...just nothing. _I must be dying....or already dead...is this what dying feels like?_ She drifted. She saw a woman holding a baby...no, _two_ babies. There was a man and another woman there too. They both looked very angry and began to fight as the mother clutched the babies to herself and tried to leave. The angry woman stopped her and seemed to cast a spell at the woman. Then she was gone, leaving the mother and the man to stare at the babies. The woman practically threw one of them across the room and the man rushed to catch it. Kaori couldn't hear what was being said, but it was clear that the woman didn't want this particular baby anymore, that she hated it. She didn't even look at it, she just took the other one with her and left the room. For some reason, this made Kaori very sad.

"I'm sorry" a voice whispered. Kaori 'turned' to see a miko looking at her with sorrow on her face. Kaori couldn't speak but the miko seemed to understand the question in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. If i'd realized my mistake sooner....I'm sorry. I did this to you. I made you what you are."

Kaori felt shock emanate through her....well, as much as one can feel shock when you are floating in nothingness, devoid of feeling.

What? Why?

The miko didn't look at her as she spoke, "It is a long story. Far too long to tell you with the time you have left. Needless to say, I thought your father had killed my sister. She was the only family I had and he had taken her life away from me. I was angry. I didn't understand. I studied for years as a warrior miko, to become powerful enough to somehow hurt him, pay him back for what he did to me. To my sister." The miko sighed. "I was foolish. So foolish. But I was angry and hurt and lived for revenge. So I tried to do the same to him that he had to me. I was going to take away his family and leave him bereft of everything he cherished. I wanted him to hurt like I had hurt for so many years. He tried to stop me, but he was too late. By the time he reached me, my spell had already reached the target....or so it seemed."

What do you mean? Anger. Look at me! It worked! Your fault. Kaori flung these feelings/thoughts at the woman.

"My little sister was a very powerful miko and as a child, though i was older, I had longed to become just like her. She was kind and made it her mission help restless souls move on. Even in death she stayed true that mission. Though your father was too late, my sister was not. She crossed the boundary of life and death and blocked the majority of the spell, thus saving the child of her killer." Tears ran down the miko's cheeks as she continued, "By doing so, she severely weakened her soul. After I died and met her here at the border of heaven and hell, even as her soul slowly began to disappear forever, she explained everything to me. I had been mistaken and I realized that I had wasted the life my sister had saved for me, on seeking revenge. She had died so that I might live. Your father had granted her wish but it cost her, her life. I was horrified at what I had done, and felt so ashamed. My sister simply smiled and forgave me, saying that it wasn't too late. That things could still be remedied."

Anger melted into Desperation, hope of a cure, how, and please. Kaori tried to send these feelings and thoughts to this strange woman. The miko turned her head in regret. "I'm afraid I cannot. I'm gone to the underworld. I have no power now."

But....there's a way, right? Please. Scared. Determination. Tell me how!

The miko hesitated for a moment, then looked Kaori in the eye. "There is but one way to change you back. It because my sister interfered that you aren't fully human. Because of this, you have one chance to save yourself. Before you died, you were stuck as a human, correct? That is because your body was suffering an imbalance between your demon half and your 'human' half. The original curse was to use the moon, the power under which Dog-demons rule, against you and use it's power to fully suppress your demon powers thus making you human. However, because of my sister's interference, the curse was not complete. Because your normal progression as a demon was hindered by the curse, you were just barely growing into your full powers thereby increasing the level of demon energy you possess. To compensate for this, the curse had to....stretch...itself and for an instant, grew slightly more powerful than your demon half, thus preventing you from changing back."

Impatience. Get to the point.

"Just as the curse overcame your demon half and made you human for a day and a night, your demon powers will eventually overcome the curse and you will be your original self again for a day and a night.

BUT I'M DEAD! Kaori thought/shouted at the miko. Confusion. Anger. HOW CAN I ---

The miko interrupted her barrage of the thoughts/shouts. "Even now, your brother walks towards you with the intention of reviving you."

This information brought Kaori up short. Brother? But....confusion....

The miko, for once, looked desperate. "I don't have much time to explain. If you wish to be 'cured' then you must hear me out. As I said before, your demon powers will eventually overcome the curse and you will be your original self again for a day and a night. When this happens, you have to die again. We must weaken both sides of you. Tonight, your human side was essentially weakened when you died. The same must happen to the demon side. This way you will come back into balance and you will be as you have always been. Transforming every night, returning to yourself every morning. To fully cure you and bring you back to how you should be, you must be killed with a piece of your father not yet used against you, in the midst of transformation on the night of the next full moon after your last death. This is very important. During your transformation there is but a single moment where you are both demon and human at the same time, in equal parts. It must be this exact moment that you are 'killed' with the piece of your father not yet used against you. It is the only way. One chance. No more....you must go now. Remember what i've said to you! Good luck!"

Kaori could feel a rush of wind and sudden sensation of feeling, then a PULL and suddenly she was back in the forest, on the ground staring up at a familiar face...her own.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Author's note: **Geez! I seem to apologize in every single chapter, don't I? Well, here goes: I am SOOOOOO sorry for not giving you guys an update sooner. It's not fair to my very few, but very AWESOME, readers, and I shall try harder to update at a more fair pace. Luckily (and sadly), there are only 2 or 3 more chapters left! Thanks for reading! Thanks for reviewing! Thanks for your patience!_

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**Chapter 15**

For the first time in his life, Lord Sesshoumaru was truly stunned. Rin gasped. "She looks like you Sesshoumaru-sama! But she's a girl!" Indeed, what lay before him was not the blonde human woman but a demon with a face matching his own in every way. Her features were slightly softened with femininity but other than that, he was looking at his twin.

_Rin said she was 'like me' but surely this is not what she meant! _His senses tingled strangely, as though his soul recognized the familiar stranger before him but his mind struggled to take it in. He stayed wary, muscles flexed and prepared to strike at the first hint of danger. This felt...just...wrong....yet he could not detect a threat in this strange woman.

The demon with his face slowly opened her eyes, groggy at first, then with shocked recognition. She didn't say anything. Just stared. Sesshoumaru simply looked at her, calm but withdrawn.

After a few minutes, the woman sat up and checked her once wounded area. Then, carefully stood and upon seeing an uninjured Rin standing next him, said "I am glad you are unhurt....Rin." Rin looked pleasantly surprised that the strange Lady knew her name, but Sesshoumaru went still. The woman continued, " and Sesshoumaru, brother, I thank you for bringing me back."

Sesshoumaru inwardly reeled. Brother? Surely it was impossible....and yet....No. "This Sesshoumaru claims neither sister nor the wish to revive you. You prevented injury to what is mine. We are even now and for that reason alone did I do that which saved you." The woman said nothing but reached with her unoccupied hand towards.....it couldn't be, but the aura was unmistakable!

---

Kaori, holding her ruined and torn kimono closed over the former wound area, felt a myriad of emotions flood through her as she looked at and listened to the demon she now knew was her twin brother.

She felt anxious and timid, gratitude and respect, confusion, loss, hurt.... Otou-san and Oka-san had told her very little about her origins; only that her father was InuTaisho, a Great Demon Lord, and that Kaori had been cursed by a vengeful kuro-miko at birth and sent to live with her father's servants. She had never been told anything about her mother or if she had any siblings. Now she knew she had a brother.

She was almost happy at the prospect, yet he seemed to coldly dismiss her. Out of nervous habit she reached for her fang, still dangling from it's chain around her neck. Somehow, it always seemed to end up there after a fight or a fall. She saw Sesshoumaru's eyes follow her hand's movements and for the first time she saw an emotion flicker across his features.

Shock.

"Where did you get that?" He asked, almost angrily.

Kaori tensed but realized how strange this whole situation must be to him, and slowly withdrew her hand. "Our father left it for me....just as I assume he gave _that_ " she pointed to the sheathed Tenseiga, "to you."

It was then that Kaori remembered the question that had been on her lips before Sesshoumaru had interupted her. "How many blades did our father have forged?"

---

Sesshoumaru was steaming. How many more secrets did his old man have? He recognized the fang as one that belonged to his father. As far as he knew, he had no siblings. _That un-worthy hanyou, Inuyasha, doesn't count. _This look-alike female demon's claims seemed rediculous, yet....looking at the small fang hanging around her neck made him start to believe that he might actually have another...._no! Inuyasha doesn't count!_.....**a** sibling. A sister. It was so ludicrous! Yet she knew that his father had left Tenseiga to him. But her question to him about the number of blades forged caught him off-guard.

"You claim to have relation to me and know where Tenseiga originated from yet you do not know how many blades were forged?" He said in disdain, "Do not flatter yourself with ignorant claims-"

"Inuyasha has one too."

Rin's little girl voice interupted him and Sesshoumaru glared at her, who seemed (for once) oblivious. What had gotten into the small girl? More and more it seemed Rin's loyalties lay more with this woman than with him. Then he caught himself, he was starting to behave like a child. Shock, anger, and jealousy were emotions for weak, lower beings, yet in one day this stranger seemed to bring out all of those in him. Even Inuyasha didn't have this effect on him!

The woman's attention immediately was focused on Rin. His Rin.

---

Kaori could tell something was agitating Sesshoumaru but when Rin piped up with information she let it slip her mind. "Inuyasha?" The rude, immature, hanyou with Izayoi-hime's eyes? Surely it couldn't be the same person.

She saw Sesshoumaru give Rin a warning glance but the girl ignored it. "Yep! He's Sesshoumaru-sama's half brother. He's a hanyou! And he's got a really big sword. Sesshoumaru-sama really wants it but his father gave it to Inu--"

"Enough, Rin!"

The demon cut Rin off mid-sentence and she immediately looked embarrassed. Kaori's thoughts raced, however. Inuyasha was Sesshoumaru's half-brother? Then he was also Kaori's half-brother....and he had Izayoi-hime's eyes, which meant he was her son.....so when Oka-san said:

_**"Kaori, Izayoi-hime and InuTaisho-sama are...very good friends. She is expecting her first child and InuTaisho-sama, in his kindness, offered her our home as refuge from some...well, let's just say...unsavory characters." **_

....Oh. My. Gods. No wonder Oka-san had been looking at her in that strangely earnest way. Izayoi-hime and InuTaisho had been lovers and Kita hadn't wanted to upset Kaori with that fact!

Her mind felt like it was going to explode. Everything was now starting to make sense. The annoying looks of recognition then confusion, Sesshoumaru's manner and uncanny resemblence to herself, Inuyasha's eyes, the curse, the woman and the two babies from the vision, who she really was....everything was falling into place. Everything, that is, except the assassination attempt. Who was trying to kill her? She'd done nothing she knew of to offend someone rich enough to afford an assassin....then Kaori's thoughts started to take an ugly turn.

---

Inuyasha's name seemed to strike something in the woman, for she immediately became lost in her thoughts and at Rin's unwelcome mentioning of the...._relationship_....between Inuyasha and himself, the look-alike's face steadily went pale. Clearly she had come to some sort of realization.

He had had enough of this mess; he was thrown out of sorts and he didn't like it. Sesshoumaru had some questions for a certain someone, and they _would_ give him the answers he sought. _Mother has some explaining to do....._


End file.
